Shapers

It is said that the Shapers set out to create the world in nine days. To do this, they utilized devices that used the Anthem of Creation to create the world. However, they vanished on the third day, leaving their devices behind[1] (supposedly, something went wrong on this day, hence their departure).[2] These devices can be found scattered across the world. However, other beliefs exist concerning the world and its origins.[3] What happened was so long ago that it has passed out of memory and into legend.[4]

Left unchecked, the Shapers' devices can be devastating;[1] they are far from dormant and activate (or deactivate) randomly, causing cataclysmic changes to the world and creating a hostile environment that makes daily life a constant struggle.[3] How these devices work is unknown to humans, but they can do things beyond mortal understanding. The creation of forests, the gushing of water, the relics have done this. However, they have caused the mutation of various animals, which have pushed humanity to the brink.[1] Paradoxically, it is from Shaper technology that Javelins were reverse-engineered, allowing humanity to survive the perils of their world.[3]

When asked, Mike Gamble stated that the Shapers aren't necessarily a precursor race, in the vein of other precursorsBioWare have created. He reiterated that the writers knew the origins and history of the Shapers, but that uncovering them would be part of the game's narrative.[6]